How far should an editor go in telling a writer what’s ‘right’ and what’s ‘wrong’ with the story?

A young man sees a young woman. He falls in love with her, despite never having spoken to her. Well, Romeo did it, and he has been immortalised for it. Why can’t a young man in India pull the same stunt?

Like Romeo, he pursues her. Unlike Juliet, she pushes him away continuously. He is upset about this and calls her disgusting and deceitful and all sorts of other, uncomplimentary things. When she gets pregnant she turns back to him, for some reason, and he is able to show his superheroic side by helping out the poor damsel in distress, while at the same time, making sure she rues her decision to ever reject him in the first place.

As an editor, I’m faced by stories like this all the time. Someone has obviously put his or her heart and soul into writing this book, and has given it to me in the hope that I will polish it up grammatically and hand it back, sparkling and ready to go.

As an editor, that’s all I’m expected to do, you might say. At the most, I might flag up a character who changes names, or one who talks more like a runaway from a Shakespeare play set than the others, but passing judgment on what is or is not “politically correct” is not what any author wants from me.

How far the editor's writ run?

Or is it? An editor, at the end of the day, is a human being after all, and an important role that she plays (for more often than not, it seems to be a she) is to function as an unbiased reader for the author. The editor can tell the author, perhaps better than more biased readers like friends or family can, whether a story works or not. After all, that’s what really distinguishes one of us from Microsoft Word – the ability to really make sense of and engage with the text we’re working with.

But how can you keep yourself from getting your own politics and emotions muddled with what you’re reading? Reading fiction is, ideally, an immersive activity, something that sets you thinking at the same time that it pulls you away from the world around you. For a book to work, I believe, it mustn’t offend you so horribly that you’re putting it down every few seconds and going “but that’s just not right!”

Given how the attitudes enshrined in popular culture – in our books, TV shows, music and movies – influence and have been shown to have a powerful effect on their audience, can I really let something like my hypothetical example slip by without a little warning?

As an editor, you’re allowed to make it clear to an author that some element of a story isn’t working, and if it’s something like the reductive portrayal of a certain kind of group, I feel that it’s imperative that you point it out. A lot of the time, the author is unconscious of how it looks, being so consumed by the creative process. Other times, they disagree, some more vehemently than others, and we move on.

Wrong vs Right

But with pointing out “what’s wrong” in this context, a whole other can of worms gets opened. Who am I, really, to decide what’s “wrong” about castigating a pregnant girl? Am I not operating a little like a vigilante, using my superpowers (grammatically charged ones) to operate outside of the law, forcing my morals onto someone else’s manuscript? Am I not being a censor board?

I’m sure many of my fellow editors have come across this question. What sets us apart from readers of a published work is that we have the power, however slight, to change something before it goes out into the wider world. Obviously the author has the final vote on whether to alter things, but just the chance of making oneself heard, nay, the certainty that you will be heard gives me, at least, the drive to point out what seems “wrong” or prejudiced, or downright regressive.

So I will put in my comment, exercise my right to use Microsoft Word’s handy little box, and tell the writer, “Hey, I don’t think it’s cool that your character harangues a girl for going off with another guy and calls her disgusting. Especially since he’s obviously urban, educated and kind of progressive. Not to mention that I, as an urban, educated, female reader, am supposed to like him.”

Or something a little more sophisticatedly worded than that.

I don’t think Batman ever angsts about whether or not he’s doing the right thing by stepping outside of the law to pin “bad elements” down. Being a vigilante implies a certain derring-do, a disregard for what other people might think of as “not minding your own business.” It is an editor’s business, I think, to point out things that look prejudiced, or unseemly, or downright uncalled for. But once done, the vigilante can retire, put the cape away. It’s up to the cops to hold the Joker, after all. If the cops don’t think he’s a bad deal, well, that’s not really Batman’s business any more, is it?

Except it kind of is and that’s why I’m glad I’m just an editor, not Batman.

Why should inclusion matter to companies?

It's not just about goodwill - inclusivity is a good business decision.

To reach a 50-50 workplace scenario, policies on diversity need to be paired with a culture of inclusiveness. While diversity brings equal representation in meetings, board rooms, promotions and recruitment, inclusivity helps give voice to the people who might otherwise be marginalized or excluded. Inclusion at workplace can be seen in an environment that values diverse opinions, encourages collaboration and invites people to share their ideas and perspectives. As Verna Myers, a renowned diversity advocate, puts it “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Creating a sense of belonging for everyone is essential for a company’s success. Let’s look at some of the real benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace:

Better decision making

A whitepaper by Cloverpop, a decision making tool, established a direct link between inclusive decision making and better business performance. The research discovered that teams that followed an inclusive decision-making process made decisions 2X faster with half the meetings and delivered 60% better results. As per Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino, this report highlights how diversity and inclusion are practical tools to improve decision making in companies. According to her, changing the composition of decision making teams to include different perspectives can help individuals overcome biases that affect their decisions.

Higher job satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is connected to a workplace environment that values individual ideas and creates a sense of belonging for everyone. A research by Accenture identified 40 factors that influence advancement in the workplace. An empowering work environment where employees have the freedom to be creative, innovative and themselves at work, was identified as a key driver in improving employee advancement to senior levels.

Innovation

A research by Catalyst.org stated the in India, 62% of innovation is driven by employee perceptions of inclusion. The study included responses from 1,500 employees from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States and showed that employees who feel included are more likely to go above and beyond the call of duty, suggest new and innovative ways of getting work done.

Competitive Advantage

Shirley Engelmeier, author of ‘Inclusion: The New Competitive Business Advantage’, in her interview with Forbes, talks about the new global business normal. She points out that the rapidly changing customer base with different tastes and preferences need to feel represented by brands. An inclusive environment will future-proof the organisation to cater to the new global consumer language and give it a competitive edge.

An inclusive workplace ensures that no individual is disregarded because of their gender, race, disability, age or other social and cultural factors. Accenture has been a leading voice in advocating equal workplace. Having won several accolades including a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate equality index, Accenture has demonstrated inclusive and diverse practices not only within its organisation but also in business relationships through their Supplier Inclusion and Diversity program.

In a video titled ‘She rises’, Accenture captures the importance of implementing diverse policies and creating an inclusive workplace culture.